Conception's 'State of Deception' - Album Review

2018's reunion of the Norwegian progressive metal act Conception, and their comeback EP My Dark Symphony (which I reviewed here), was easily the year's biggest musical surprise. Save for a handful of festival shows in 2005, Conception had been dormant since 1998 - when the band's frontman Roy Khan left to join up with the American act Kamelot, a band which he would lead for twelve years to great success. Khan left Kamelot in 2010 citing health reasons, and essentially retreated completely from the public eye lead a more normal life. When Khan left Kamelot, I was sad. He had taken the band from being essentially a Fates Warning/Crimson Glory pastiche to one of the world's premier symphonic/power metal acts - and his apparent retirement was a shock to the metal world. Very few singers sound like Khan, with his moody, yet melodic, voice a big part of his success as a frontman. Despite the disappointment, I understood Khan's decision. It can be hard to toil away at something if your heart is no longer in it - and he left Kamelot at the top of his game, with their 2010 album Poetry for the Poisoned still fresh on people's minds. I cannot remember exactly when I started listening to Conception, but I think it was probably around 2009 - as they seemed the logical next step after devouring Kamelot's catalogue. I still do not have the band's entire discography, as a copy of 1997's Flow is proving hard to track down, but I really enjoy all of the albums that I have heard. Kamelot fans who are discovering Conception with their recent reunion, who may not be aware of the band's history, should not expect the band to sound like a continuation of Khan's time in Kamelot. Conception were always much more of a progressive-focused band than Kamelot have ever been, despite Kamelot having their prog moments, with less gothic melodrama and more emphasis on guitar-centric arrangements thanks to the fabulous Tore Østby - another musician who spent far too long out of the spotlight. It is strange to think that both of Conception's main driving forces, Khan and Østby, were essentially 'retired' for so long. Østby had some success with Ark after Conception's demise, but that band was fairly short-lived. Drummer Arve Heimdal was also fairly quiet outside of Conception, which means that the band's 2018 reunion essentially brought three guys back into the metal spotlight once again - which was great to see. Clearly buoyed by the success of My Dark Symphony, the band started writing more songs - and the result is State of Deception, the band's first full-length album for 23 years. Conception's newer material is certainly darker and more gothic than the band's earlier works, and that trend continues on State of Deception - which continues the blend of the band's 1995 album In Your Multitude with the darkness of Poetry for the Poisoned that was established on the 2018 EP to great effect. State of Deception is heavier than the EP however, and it could be the most abrasive and varied piece of work the band has put together yet.

With so many progressive metal albums being packed to the limit, with run times of 70-plus minutes being the norm, it is refreshing to listen to one that is over and done after around 40 minutes. Not every album needs to fill up a CD, and with State of Deception Conception have produced an album that is technical and complex, but also extremely easy to digest. Unsurprisingly, the album opens up with an instrumental scene-setter. In: Deception is a swirling, gothic set-piece filled with dense keyboards and orchestrations - which Østby follows with his guitar while Heimdal builds things up with some distant snare drum work. It is a short, theatrical piece that ends with a bang - and perfectly transitions into Of Raven and Pigs. Of Raven and Pigs is the first true song here, and it is easily one of the strangest things the band have written yet - throwing an early curve ball. The song is based around a stark, mechanical-sounding Østby riff, which is backed by Lars Christian Narum's organ, while Khan's snarling, angry vocals burst out of the speakers. Parts of the song see him singing in his usual style, but the most memorable parts here are his frantic spoken word sections that have him spitting out the words in a style unlike anything he has ever really done before. Heimdal and bassist Ingar Amlien maintain a pseudo-industrial beat throughout the track, which backs Østby's ever-present riff perfectly, and it is this ever-presence that gives the song a really menacing vibe. Even when Østby launches into a tortured, strange-sounding guitar solo the beat remains, and it remains still through Khan's final tirade - ending on a resounding 'Let them burn!' as the song draws to a close. After that unsettling opening, it is left to Waywardly Broken to bring the album back to a more familiar territory for the band. The creepy intro aside, the song is a melodic feast that is a throwback to the band's classic sound - with Khan's smooth vocals given centre stage while Østby lays down a melodic, trippy guitar lead. This was the first song released from the album, and it certainly gives the listener a good idea of Conception's overall style. The band's progressive tendencies are shown throughout, with plenty of light and shade present, while big melodies are still given a lot of emphasis. One of the criticisms that some had with My Dark Symphony was how relatively restrained Østby was throughout; and that has been rectified here. His guitar playing is all over all of the songs here, and he lays down a fantastic, fluid solo in this track that really showcases his approach to melody. It is quite a simple-sounding solo, but it perfectly cuts through the murk of the song and presents a moment of light amongst the shade. These opening two numbers really show how diverse the modern Conception sound is, and act as a great primer to the band's modern headspace and love for diversity.

No Rewind is more of a straight-ahead metal track, led by a driving Østby riff that ensures a swift pace is maintained throughout - while Khan sounds like his old self with a dramatic, melodic vocal display. The great thing about Conception is that they rarely go for a straight-ahead metal sound, but when they do it sounds brisk and powerful; and the song is quite different from many of the others here. It lacks the dynamics that many of the other tracks have, but it makes up for it with a driving energy and something of a classic rock strut. There are deviations from this however, such as the few percussive-based atmospheric sections that see Khan singing atop Heimdal's distant percussion and some dense keyboards - but these moments are short-lived and act only as a breath-catcher before Østby's riff comes crashing back in. The Mansion is the album's ballad, with piano from Lars Andre Kvistum present throughout - which forms the perfect backing for Khan's gorgeous vocals. For Kamelot fans coming to Conception for the first time, this song might actually be the best starting point as it certainly shares some similarities with the ballads that Kamelot put out towards the end of Khan's tenure with the band. He really showcases his vocal power throughout here, while Michael 'Miro' Rodenberg's orchestration makes the song sound huge. Guest vocals are provided by Elize Ryd (Amaranthe), who adds a breathy, delicate vocal coda towards the end of the piece that sounds so different from her usual work. I would not have guessed that it was her if I did not know that she was featured on the track - and her shimmering contribution only elevates the song higher. The song is one of the album's highlights for me, as it is packed full of emotion throughout - and features great vocal interplay between two excellent singers in modern metal. Another highlight is the riffy By the Blues, which was another song that was released online before the album was released. On my first listen to the album it was probably the song that stood out the most to me, and it remains a favourite of mine. While Conception are a very melodic band, they are not a band to put too much stock in a big chorus - often choosing to weave their melodies throughout their songs in different ways. By the Blues has a more traditional structure however, and features a massive chorus. It is easily the catchiest chorus here, and features Khan giving it his all vocally while Østby lays down an anthemic hard rock riff that again has something of a strut to it. This is the sort of song that is definitely made to be played live, and I imagine that when the band get to tour after the COVID-19 pandemic comes to an end it will become a highlight of their shows - it is just a shame that, so far, the band have left the UK out of their touring plans.

Anybody Out There is also something of a ballad, but it is much doomier than The Mansion - with a creepy opening riff that helps to set an ominous tone. It is something of a surprise then when the song really drops out during the verses to leave Khan singing alone against a very subtle string backdrop. He has the sort of voice that is made be heard against a string backing (I believe he sung lots of classical music in his youth), as he has plenty of drama and grit to convey all of the emotions necessary without the need for a big metal arrangement. It also helps the choruses to feel much heavier when the rest of the band kick in - with Østby's doomy guitars contrasting well with the preceding dense strings. While this is song that is largely focused around Khan and his emotion vocal delivery, a short Østby guitar solo also proves to be a highlight. It has a thin, tortured sound that fits nicely into the doom of the rest of the song - and provides additional, lighter melodies which go further to highlight the darkness in Khan's voice. She Dragoon sounds like it is going to be another slower-paced song at first, but after a subtle opening the song really kicks off with a big Østby riff and a driving Heimdal drum pattern. While not exactly a fast-paced metal track, there is a lot of weight here, with a tough mid-paced verse and some of the most-technical guitar riffing on the album. The riffing here is quite varied, and repeated listens to the song reveal lots of the little tricks that Østby throws into it. It also features another soaring chorus, with some melodramatic vocals from Khan that recall some of his work with Kamelot at times, while Narum's organ grinds away in the background. This song is another real highlight for me, and over my multiple listens to the album it has really grown in stature - and it is now probably my second-favourite song here behind By the Blues. Aurora Amalie Heimdal, who also contributes backing vocals on some of the other songs, adds her vocals to the ending portion of the song - providing an ethereal counterpoint to Khan and the heaviness around her. The album comes to a close with Feather Moves, a track that was used as a b-side for the single released from My Dark Symphony. I am glad it has been repurposed here, as it is too strong to be left languishing in b-side purgatory, and it helps to close out the album out in a strong way. It is a slow-paced, atmospheric track that is quite different from the rest of the album. My Dark Symphony certainly went for a more atmospheric sound, and the band has clearly made an effort to toughen things up again here - but it does mean that Feather Moves sounds like a bit of an outlier. It works well however, and its floaty feeling acts as the perfect coda to the riffy and dynamic album that preceded it. Østby actually handles the bass here, and his busy playing often forms the main musical hook - while his keyboards and Khan's whimsical vocals provide relaxing and enveloping melodies to bring the album to a smooth conclusion. Overall, State of Deception is a really enjoyable listen that packs an awful lot into its relatively short run time. It is an album that I can listen to over and over again and still hear something new, and I would not be surprised if it ended up as one of the albums of the year come December - as there are no weak moments at all here, with every song hitting the spot and helping to establish the album's overall disparate vibe.

The album was released on 2nd April 2020 via Conception Sound Factory. Below is the band's promotional lyric video for Waywardly Broken.